From Marshall W. Taylor, A Collection of Revival Hymns and Plantation Melodies (Cincinnati: Marshall W. Taylor and W. C. Echols, 1882), page 248:


GIM’ ME DE WINGS
By Rev. Wm. Johnson.

[Musical notation for the melody line is included.]

A is for Adam, no knowledge to win,
By Eve and the serpent was tempted to sin.

CHORUS. And O, good Lord, gim’ me de wings;
O Lord, gim’ me de wings;
And O, good Lord, gim’ me de wings;
Git up in de Chariot and trabel along.

B is for the Book, to us the guide was given,
Written by the wise men, the Word come from heaven.

C is for Christ, nailed to the tree;
Sinner repent, forever might be.

D is for dove, with the olive leaf green;
Returning to the ark in peace she was seen.

[E is missing from this text.--JD]

F is for Felix, whom Paul sent away,
And desired to return at some future day.

G is for Goliah, who fell on the plain;
By the sling of David this giant was slain.

[H, I, J, and K are missing.]

L is for Lydia, God opened her heart;
What he had bestowed ’twas her joy to impart.

M is for Mary who fed on Christ’s word;
Martha, her sister, belov’d by the Lord.

N is for Noah, with God for his guide,
Safely he sailed o’er the billowy tide.

O is for Obadiah, the prophets to save,
Twice fifty concealed and fed in a cave.

P is for Peter who walked on the wave,
Sinking he cried, Lord I perish, O save.

Q is for the queen from distant lands came,
Allured by the sound of King Solomon’s fame.

R is for Ruth, goes forth ’mid the sheaves,
Gleaning the ears the husbandman leaves.

S is for Stephen, Christ’s martyr, who cried
To God for his murderers, then calmly died.

T is for Timothy, taught in his youth
To love and to study the Scriptures of truth.

U is for Uzziah, in rashness and pride
Profaning God’s altar, a leper he died.

V is the vine, a green branch may I be,
Bearing fruit to the glory of Jesus, the tree.

W is the widow, her two mites she gave,
And trusted to God to sustain her and save.

X is the cross that our dear Savior bore.
O, think of his sorrows and grieve him no more.

Y is the youth, who killed by a fall,
By a miracle wrought was recovered by Paul.

Z is for Zoar, where Lot prayed to be.
It reminds me of Christ, a refuge for me.